Youth baseball

ABSTRACT

A youth baseball includes a core center and an outer surface that encircles the core center. The circumference of the outer surface is less than or equal to 8.375 inches. The weight of the youth baseball is less than or equal to 4.7 ounces.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS-NOT APPLICABLE

The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/507,002, entitled “Youth Baseball”, filed May 16, 2017, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility Patent Application for all purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT—NOT APPLICABLE INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC—NOT APPLICABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to baseball and more particularly to youth sized baseballs.

Description of Related Art

Baseball is known as America's pastime. It is played on a field with a bat, a ball, and nine players on each team. Professional baseball has established regulations for the size and weight of bats that can be used, the size and weight of the ball that can be used, and the dimensions of the field. For instance, the baseball is spec' d to have a circumference in the range of 9.0 to 9.25 inches and to have a weight in the range of 5.0 to 5.25 ounces. Professional baseball has also established a coefficient of restitution (COR) for baseballs of 0.5.

Youth baseball has similarly established regulations for the size and weight of bats and for the dimensions of the field. Youth baseball, however, has no regulations for the size and weight of baseballs. As such, youth baseball uses baseballs that conform to the professional regulations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example of a proper grip of a baseball;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example of a youth grip of an adult sized baseball;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example of a youth sized hand gripping a youth sized baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagram of an example of an adult baseball making contact with an adult sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a top view diagram of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a side view diagram of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a diagram of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a diagram of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a diagram of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 19 is another top view diagram of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a graph of an example of momentum of a youth baseball versus momentum of a youth sized bat in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a graph of an example of velocity of a youth baseball versus a mass ratio times a youth sized bat velocity in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a graph of an example of the coefficient of restitution (COR) of a youth baseball versus a mass ratio times a youth sized bat velocity in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a diagram of an example of the youth baseball of FIG. 23 being compressed at or below a first level in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a diagram of an example of the youth baseball of FIG. 23 being compressed above a first level in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a graph of an example of the coefficient of restitution (COR) of a youth baseball of FIG. 23 versus compression of the youth sized baseball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 28 is a graph of an example of the coefficient of restitution (COR) of a youth baseball of FIG. 27 versus compression of the youth sized baseball in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example of a proper grip 12 of an adult baseball 10 for a four-seam fastball. As illustrated, the index finger and middle finger are on top of the ball touching one of the seams. The fingers are separated a comfortable distance (e.g., ½ inch to 1.5 inches). The thumb is on the bottom of the ball approximately centered between the two fingers.

A proper grip of the baseball promotes proper throwing mechanics. At the point of release, for example, this grip allows the wrist to snap through the throw such that the fingers are pulling down on the baseball, creating a back-spin. With the thumb centered between the fingers, the wrist maintains a perpendicular alignment with the target of the throw and minimizes unintentional rotation of the hand and forearm. Forearm rotation during a throw tends to put more stress on the elbow and/or the shoulder, making them more susceptible to injury.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example of a youth grip 14 of an adult sized baseball 10. For many young baseball players, their hands are too small to grip the ball properly as shown in FIG. 1. As such, many youth players use a three-fingered grip with the thumb off-center on the bottom of the ball. With this grip, the youth player cannot properly snap the wrist. Instead, the youth player tends to throw the ball more like throwing a pie; they launch their hand. This “pie throwing motion” causes the shoulder to open, placing stress on the shoulder and making it susceptible to injury.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example of a youth sized hand properly gripping 18 a youth baseball 16. The youth baseball (called the “Butcher Ball”™ and/or the “Mike Butcher Youth Ball”™) is 60%-90% of the size of the professional baseball. With a professional baseball having a spec'd circumference of 9.0 to 9.25 inches, the “Butcher Ball” is 5.4 to 8.375 inches in circumference. In an embodiment, the circumference of the “Butcher Ball” is approximately 7.5 inches.

The weight of the “Butcher Ball” may also be reduced by 60%-90% of the weight of the professionally spec'd baseball, which is 5.0 to 5.25 ounces. For example, the “Butcher Ball” weighs between 3.0 and 4.7 ounces. In an embodiment, the “Butcher Ball” weighs 4.1 ounces.

With the size of the ball reduced, a youth player can achieve the proper grip 18. The proper grip enables proper throwing mechanics. There are several studies that indicate that proper throwing mechanics are important in reducing the risk of an arm injury. In particular, in reducing elbow injuries and shoulder injuries.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an embodiment of a youth baseball 16 (i.e., the “Butcher Ball”) that includes finger grip alignment areas 20 & 22 and a thumb alignment area 24. The Butcher Ball may be constructed in a variety of ways. For example, the ball is constructed in a similar manner as a professional sized baseball with a rubber or cork center that is wrapped in yarn and covered two leather pieces that are stitched together. As another example, the Butcher Ball is constructed of a synthetic outer material that encompasses a core center of one or more different materials, such as plastic, polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), EVA rubber, rubber, cork, silicone gel, foam, and/or a composition thereof. The synthetic outer material includes a pattern that replicates a conventional baseball and is constructed of one or more of plastic, PU, EVA, EVA rubber, rubber, and composition thereof. As a further example, the ball includes two pieces of leather that are stitched together for the outer surface that covers a center of the one or more different materials.

The finger and thumb grip alignment areas 20-24 are positioned on the ball to assist the player with obtaining a proper grip of the baseball. Each grip alignment area (finger and thumb) provides a tactile feel that is different from the tactile feel of the rest of the ball and may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the grip alignment areas 20-24 are fabricated in the synthetic outer material. As another example, the grip alignment areas are stick-on sheets that have a tactile feel such as a knurl, rippled surface, dimpled surface, etc. As yet another example, the grip alignment areas are stitched into the surface of the ball and one or more areas may coincide with conventional stitching of a baseball.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 that includes unique stitching that produces a new seam pattern 26 to define the finger and thumb grip areas. In an embodiment, the ball is constructed with a rubber or cork center that is wrapped in yarn and covered three leather pieces (two on the sides and one in the middle) that are stitched together. In another embodiment, the outer surface is synthetic having a pattern that resembles stitching in the pattern shown.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 having a two-piece leather cover covering an inner section of a cork or rubber core and yarn or the one or more different materials. The baseball further includes finger and thumb grip alignment areas 20-24 located on the ball for a proper two-seam fastball grip.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 having a synthetic cover covering an inner section of a cork or rubber core and yarn or the one or more different materials. The baseball further includes a two-seam wind drag component 28 and finger & thumb grip alignment areas 20-24 located on the ball for a two-seam fastball. The two-seam wind drag component may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the two-seam wind drag component is fabricated in the synthetic cover to resemble the seams of FIG. 6. As another example, the two-seam wind drag component is ridge and/or recess that at least partially encircles the ball to provide wind drag.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 having a two-piece leather cover covering an inner section of a cork or rubber core and yarn or the one or more different materials. The baseball further includes finger and thumb grip alignment areas 30-34 located on the ball for a proper four-seam fastball grip.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 having a synthetic cover covering an inner section of a cork or rubber core and yarn or the one or more different materials. The baseball further includes four-seam wind drag components 36 and finger & thumb grip alignment areas 30-34 located on the ball for a proper four-seam fastball grip. The four-seam wind drag components 36 may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the four-seam wind drag components 36 are fabricated in the synthetic cover to resemble the seams of FIG. 8. As another example, the four-seam wind drag components 36 are ridges and/or recesses that at least partially encircles the ball to provide wind drag.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 having a two-piece leather cover covering an inner section of a cork or rubber core and yarn or the one or more different materials. The baseball further includes finger and thumb grip alignment areas 20-24 and 30-34 located on the ball for both a two-seam fastball and a four-seam fastball.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 having a synthetic cover covering an inner section of a cork or rubber core and yarn or the one or more different materials. The baseball further includes a two-seam wind drag component 28, four-seam wind drag components 36, and finger & thumb grip alignment areas 20-24 and 30-34 located on the ball for both a two-seam fastball and a four-seam fastball.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an example of a youth baseball 16 making contact with a youth sized bat. In this example, the youth bat has a diameter of 2.25 inches and the youth baseball has a diameter of 2.375 inches. The desired impact area between the bat and ball is an area that spans about 16 degrees. This is about the same impact area for an adult or professional bat and baseball 10 as shown in FIG. 13. As such, the smaller baseball should have negligible effect on hitting the baseball.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are a top and a side view diagrams of another example of a youth baseball making contact with a youth sized bat. From the side (or face) view of FIG. 15, the path of the ball has a downward angle of 4 or more degrees as it approaches the hitting zone. The downward angle depends on the height of the pitcher's release point of the baseball, the speed of the baseball, and whether the pitch is low, middle, or high in the strike zone. The swing path of the bat, with respect to the contact point, starts by arcing towards the hitting zone and, just before the hitting zone and through the hitting zone, the swing path becomes linear having an upward angle of 4 or more degrees to match the angle of the baseball.

From the overhead view of FIG. 14, the path of the baseball is straight to home plate and the swing path at the contact point has a “flattened” arc path. The “flattened” arc of the swing path allows for the bat to stay as close perpendicular to the path of the baseball for as long as possible (at least through the hitting zone). The velocity (speed in a given direction) of the bat has a swing velocity before contact (Vsb) that is greater than the swing velocity after contact (Vsa). The baseball has a velocity (speed in the direction towards home plate) before contact (Vbb) and a velocity (speed in the direction away from home plate) after contact (Vba), which is referred to as the exit velocity. The velocities (Vsb, Vsa, Vbb, and Vba) are fundamental operands for the laws of physics governing the collision of a bat and ball.

FIGS. 16-18 illustrate various time frames of the bat-baseball collision. The collision of the bat and baseball (i.e., where they are in physical contact with each other) occurs in about 0.5 milliseconds to 2 milliseconds. The collision, or contact, time is another fundamental operand for the laws of physics governing the collision.

FIG. 16 illustrates the bat and baseball just at the point of initial contact. At this point in time of the collision, no energy or momentum is transferred from the bat to the baseball. As such, the bat still has the before contact velocity of Vsb and the baseball still has the before contact velocity of Vbb.

FIG. 17 illustrates the bat-baseball collision at the point when the baseball has zero velocity (has zero speed and, for an instant, has no direction). The velocity of the swing has decreased to Vs, which is somewhere between Vsb and Vsa. The baseball has fully compressed and the bat may be experiencing some recoil, some compression, and/or some vibration. The amount of vibration depends on where on the bat the baseball is making contact. If the contact is in the “sweet spot”, the vibrations will be minimal.

FIG. 18 illustrates the bat-baseball collision at the point just before the baseball breaks contact with the bat (exits contact). As shown, the baseball has decompressed and is “bouncing” off of the bat at the after-contact velocity (i.e., the exit velocity) Vba. The bat is releasing its recoil and has an after-contact velocity of Vsa.

Generally, the energy attributable to recoil of a solid wood bat is much less than the energy attributable to the compression/decompression of the baseball and, as such, we will ignore it for this discussion. The recoil of a hollow bat (e.g., a corked bat or some aluminum bats), however, may be significantly more than a solid wood bat and release non-negligible energy into the baseball, which adds to the baseball's exit velocity.

Turning to the transfer of momentum from the bat to the baseball. Mathematically, momentum is defined as the mass of object (in kilograms) times its velocity (in meters per second).

Momentum (P)=mass (m)*velocity (V)

From a practical standpoint, an object that is moving has momentum. The faster the object is moving and the more it weighs, the more momentum it has. For example, a car that weighs 4000 pounds (e.g., 1818.2 kg) traveling at 10 mph (e.g., 4.47 meters per second (m/s)), has more momentum than a baseball that weighs 4 ounces (0.113 kg) traveling at 200 mph (89.4 m/s). In this example, the car has a momentum of 8,127 kg*m/s and the baseball has a momentum of 10.1 kg*m/s. It is not hard to image that, if the car and baseball were traveling at each other and collided, the baseball would get the worse of that collision.

A few more equations regarding the laws of physics are needed to explain the transfer of momentum. They are:

Force (F) =mass (m) * acceleration (a)

acceleration(a)=change in velocity (ΔV)/change in time (Δt)

Kinetic Energy (KE) =0.5*mass (m)*acceleration squared (a2)

Newton's Third Law

Fs=−Fb

Conservation of Momentum

Momentum of Swing before Contact (Psb)+Momentum of Baseball before Contact (Pbb)=Momentum of Swing after Contact (Psa)+Momentum of Baseball after Contact (Pba)

Psb+Pbb=Psa+Pba, or

ms*Vsb+mb*Vbb=ms*Vsa+mb*Vba

Conservation of Energy

KEsb+KEbb=KEsa+KEba+Ball compression/decompression

Change in Momentum (ΔP)

ΔP=ms*Vsa−ms*Vsb =mb*Vba−mb*Vbb

Before applying these equations to the exit velocity of the baseball that results from the bat-baseball collision, an explanation of each of the equations provides insight into exit velocity. Starting with acceleration and in practical terms, acceleration means how fast velocity (speed in a given direction) of an object is increasing or decreasing (a positive value for increasing and a negative value for decreasing). For example, a car changing its speed from 0 to 30 mph is accelerating and a car changing its speed for 30 mph to 0 is decelerating (i.e., has a negative acceleration). The value of acceleration is how fast the car changes its speed in a time period. If car goes from 0 to 30 mph in 1 second, then the car is accelerating at a rate of 30 mph per second; if it done in 2 seconds, then the car is accelerating at a rate of 15 mph per second (i.e., 30/2); and if it is done in a half a second, then the car is accelerating at a rate of 60 mph per second (i.e., 30/0.5). If the car is traveling at a constant speed, then it is not accelerating and, as such, has zero acceleration.

Force is the effort required to change the momentum of an object from a first momentum to a second momentum. If an object is stationary (i.e., has zero momentum), then a force is required to get the object moving from 0 to a given velocity within a given time frame (e.g., a second). For example, the force required for a 4,000 pound car to go from 0 mph to 2 mph in one second is 8,000 force pounds. The same applies if the first momentum is not zero. For example, the same force is needed to change the velocity of the car from 2 mph to 4 mph in one second as is needed to change the velocity of the car from 0 to 2 mph in one second.

Kinetic energy is the energy an object as a result of its acceleration from its first momentum to its second momentum. If an object is stationary (i.e., has zero momentum) and is accelerated from 0 to a given velocity, it has a kinetic energy of 0.5 times its mass time its acceleration squared. For example, a 4,000 pound car that is accelerated from 0 mph to 3 mph in one second has a kinetic energy of 18,000 (lbs (mph/sec)2) [0.5*4000*32].

Newton's third law means that when two objects collide they apply an equal and opposite force on each other during the collision. In the bat-baseball collision, the bat provides a force on the baseball that is equal to and in the opposite direction to the force applied by the baseball on the bat. In mathematical terms,

Fs=−Fb

where Fs represents the force of the swing (i.e., the force applied by the bat) and Fb represents the force of the baseball. Since force=mass times acceleration, Newton's third law equation can be rewritten as:

ms*as=−mb*ab

where “ms” represents the mass of the swing, “as” represents the acceleration of the swing, “mb” represents the mass of the baseball, and “ab” represents the acceleration of the baseball. Since acceleration equals a change in velocity divided by the time in which the change occurs (a=ΔV/Δt; where ΔV=Va−Vb and Δt=ta−tb, where “a” corresponds to just after the collision and “b” corresponds to just before the collision), Newton's third law equation can be rewritten as:

ms*(Vsa−Vsb)/t=−mb*(Vba−Vbb)/t

where Vsa is the velocity of the swing after contact, Vsb is the velocity of the swing before contact, Vba is the velocity of the baseball after contact, and Vbb is the velocity of the baseball before contact.

Since the time of the collision is the same for both the swing and the baseball, the above equation can be rewritten as:

ms*(Vsa−Vsb)=−mb*(Vba−Vbb)

which is the equation for conservation of momentum for the bat-baseball collision.

The conservation of momentum equation can be written in terms of momentum of the swing and the baseball before the collision and of the momentum of the swing and baseball after the collision. Mathematically,

ms*Vsa−ms*Vsb=−(mb*Vba−mb*Vbb)

mb*Vbb+ms*Vsb=mb*Vba+ms*Vsa

The change in momentum for the bat in the bat-baseball collision is:

ms*Vsa−ms*Vsb

-   -   and for the baseball is:

mb*Vba−mb*Vbb.

The last equation to discuss is the conservation of energy. What this equation is expressing is that, the energy before the collision equals the energy after the collision. Meaning, that no energy is lost during the bat-baseball collision, although some of the energy is converted from one type of energy to another. For example, some of the kinetic energy of the baseball and of the swing prior to collision is transformed into heat and into compression and decompression the baseball during and after the collision. The remaining portions of the before collision kinetic energy of the baseball and the swing are transferred into the swing of the bat and in the baseball after the collision.

Ignoring the heat that results for the collision, the vibration of the bat, and the recoil of the bat, since they should be relatively small in comparison to the other factors, exit velocity of the baseball is based on the mass of the baseball (mb), the before-contact velocity of the baseball (Vbb), the compression/decompression of the baseball, the mass of the swing (ms), the before-contact velocity of swing (Vsb), the after-contact velocity of the swing (Vsa), and the time of the contact.

The mass of the baseball (mb) is between 3.0 and 4.7 ounces. The velocity of the baseball before contact (Vbb) is the pitch speed, which varies from pitch to pitch, but for a given pitch, it can readily be determined. The other factors (the mass of the swing (ms), the before-contact velocity of swing (Vsb), the compression/decompression of the baseball, and the after contact velocity of the swing (Vsa)) are a little harder to determine.

To begin, the velocity of a swing starts at 0. The hitter exerts a force to accelerate the bat and his/her body from 0 to the before contact velocity in about 140 mSec (about 1/7th of a second). After contact, the hitter exerts a force to decelerate the bat and his/her body from the after-contact velocity to 0. Most youth hitters can produce a swing velocity of 50-70 mph (miles per hour).

The most difficult term to determine is the mass of the swing (ms), which is a combination of the mass of the bat, the mass of the hitter, and the strength of the hitter's body and bat alignment at the point of contact. As shown in FIG. 19, a greater effective mass of the swing is created by the back arm being “locked” to the back hip as the body pivots on the front hip. This emulates a swinging “brick wall”. The more solid the hitter's form, the more it resembles a swinging “brick wall” and the greater the effective mass of the swing.

Another factor that effects exit velocity is the hitting alignment of the bat and ball. Perfect alignment is shown in FIG. 12 where the center of the bat is aligned with the center of the ball. When perfect alignment doesn't happen, the exit velocity decreases because the effective mass of the swing decreases proportional to the amount of misalignment. In addition, an effective coefficient of restitution (COR) is proportional to the misalignment and to the difference between the mass of the baseball and the effective mass of the swing. Both factors contribute to the achievable exit velocities for various pitch velocities and before contact swing velocities.

The coefficient of restitution (COR) is a primary factor in determining the losses attributable to the compression/decompression of the baseball. COR is a measure of the “bounce back” of an object when it bounces off of a wall or solid ground. A COR of 1 has a 100% bounce back effect (e.g., drop a ball from a height of three feet onto a rigid flat surface, the ball will bounce back up to three feet, ignoring air resistance). A COR of 0 has a 0% bounce back effect (e.g., regardless of the height, the ball will not bounce (e.g., a stone has a near zero COR and does not bounce when it contacts a solid surface). A COR of 0.5 has a 25% bound back effect ((e.g., drop a ball from a height of four feet onto a rigid flat surface, the ball will bounce back up to one foot). Professional baseballs have a coefficient of restitution (COR) of 0.5.

To illustrate the COR effect on a baseball's exit velocity, assume that the bat functions as a rigid surface (e.g., like a swinging brick wall that does not vibrate, recoil, or changes its velocity) during the collision. With a COR of 0.5, a baseball would have an exit velocity of the swing velocity+0.25 times the pitch velocity. Of course, the bat does vibrate, it does recoil, and it does change its velocity, so the effect of compression/decompression of baseball on its exit velocity is less than 0.25 times the pitch velocity. If the bat has too much vibration or change in velocity, the contribution to the ball's exit velocity from its compression/decompression could be zero. As such, the exit velocity of a baseball is a function of the swing velocity, the pitch velocity, and the COR of the baseball, with a maximum exit velocity of the swing velocity plus 0.25 times the pitch velocity.

FIG. 20 is a graph of an example of momentum of a youth baseball (−m₂*v₂) versus momentum of a youth sized bat (m₁*v₁), where m₂ is the mass of the baseball (e.g., 3.0 and 4.7 ounces), v₂ is the exit velocity of the baseball just after contact, mi is the effective mass of the swing, and v₁ is the velocity of the bat just after contact. As discussed above, the effective mass of the swing is a combination of the weight of the bat, the weight of the hitter, and the hitting mechanics of the hitter at contact. The more solid the hitting mechanics, the more the bat through the hitting zone resembles a swinging wall and the greater the effective mass of the swing.

In youth baseball, there is often a substantial range is size, weight, and strengthen of the players. For instance, it is not uncommon for a team to have one player that is under 5 feet tall and weighs less than 100 pounds and have another player that is 6 feet or taller and weighs 200 pounds or more. As such, there is a wide range of effective mass of the swing in youth baseball. A physically advanced youth player can generate exit velocities over 90 mph. At 90 mph, the ball travels 161 feet in 1.22 seconds. With reduced size of the field and varying skill levels of the players, a 90 mph exit velocity is dangerous if the ball is hit at the pitcher or one of the corner infielders. Further, with a launch angle of 30 degrees and a 90 mph exit velocity, the ball will carry over 350 feet, which is far longer than needed to hit a home run on youth fields (e.g., fences are about 225 feet from home plate).

In an embodiment of a youth baseball, the ball includes a construction that limits the momentum of the baseball once the momentum of the bat (i.e., the effective mass of the swing) reaches a certain level. With reference to FIGS. 20 and 21, by limiting the momentum of the baseball, the exit velocity is limited. For example, the exit velocity can be limited to a value with the range of 60 to 85 mph. As a specific example, the exit velocity is limited to 75 mph with a tolerance of up to 10 percent.

To limit the exit velocity to a particular velocity, the coefficient of restitution (COR) of a youth sized baseball is varied as shown in FIG. 22. As shown, the coefficient of restitution (COR) of a youth baseball is relatively constant up to a certain level of a mass ratio times a youth sized bat velocity. At this level, the COR decreases, which effectively limits the momentum of the baseball after contact and limits the exit velocity. As such, safety for youth baseball players is greatly increased.

FIG. 23 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 (i.e., a “Butcher Ball”) that includes an outer surface material 40, a first inner material 42, and a second inner material 44. The outer surface material 40 includes the conventional two leather pieces stitched together or a synthetic material (e.g., one or more of plastic, PU, EVA, EVA rubber, rubber, and composition thereof) that includes a pattern to replicate the feel of the conventional two leather pieces stitched together.

The first inner material 42 has a first compression level and a first coefficient of restitution (COR) and the second inner material 44 has a second compression level and a second COR. Each of the first and second inner materials 42 & 44 is of a different composition of plastic, polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), EVA rubber, rubber, cork, silicone gel, foam, and/or a composition thereof. The first compression level is stiffer than the second compression level and the first COR is greater than the second COR.

In effect, when the Butcher Ball is not hit overly hard (e.g., less than the maximum exit velocity of FIG. 21 for a conventional baseball of a rubber or cork core wrapped in yard with a leather cover), the ball allows a conventional exit velocity (e.g., acts like a conventional baseball).

For instance, the first inner material 42 has properties similar to a conventional baseball when it is compressed less than a first compression level as shown in FIG. 24. When the first inner material is compressed less than the first compression level, the second inner material contributes very little to the overall COR of the baseball. As such, the COR of the baseball, as shown in FIG. 26, is primarily the COR of the first inner material when the ball is compressed less than the first compression level.

When the Butcher Ball is hit hard (e.g., at or above the maximum exit velocity if it were a conventional baseball), the combination of the first and second materials 42 & 44 limits the exit velocity to the maximum exit velocity. For instance, the second inner material 44 has properties that reduce the overall COR of the ball when it is compressed more than the first compression level as shown in FIG. 25. As such, the COR of the baseball 16, as shown in FIG. 26, is combination of the COR of the first and second inner materials 42 & 44 when the ball is compressed greater than the first compression level and continues to decrease as the compression of the ball increases.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of another embodiment of a youth baseball 16 (i.e., a Butcher Ball) that includes the outer surface material (similar to FIG. 23) and includes a plurality of inner materials 42-48. In this embodiment, the Butcher Ball includes three inner materials 42-46 and a core material 48, each of which is of a different composition of plastic, polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), EVA rubber, rubber, cork, silicone gel, foam, and/or a composition thereof. Further, each inner material has a different compression level and a different COR to produce the overall COR as shown in FIG. 28.

It is noted that terminologies as may be used herein such as bit stream, stream, signal sequence, etc. (or their equivalents) have been used interchangeably to describe digital information whose content corresponds to any of a number of desired types (e.g., data, video, speech, audio, etc. any of which may generally be referred to as ‘data’).

As may be used herein, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” provides an industry-accepted tolerance for its corresponding term and/or relativity between items. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than one percent to fifty percent and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process variations, temperature variations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. Such relativity between items ranges from a difference of a few percent to magnitude differences.

As may be used herein, the term “compares favorably”, indicates that a comparison between two or more items, signals, etc., provides a desired relationship. For example, when the desired relationship is that signal 1 has a greater magnitude than signal 2, a favorable comparison may be achieved when the magnitude of signal 1 is greater than that of signal 2 or when the magnitude of signal 2 is less than that of signal 1. As may be used herein, the term “compares unfavorably”, indicates that a comparison between two or more items, signals, etc., fails to provide the desired relationship.

One or more embodiments have been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships are appropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claims. Further, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality.

To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claims. One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof.

In addition, a flow diagram may include a “start” and/or “continue” indication. The “start” and “continue” indications reflect that the steps presented can optionally be incorporated in or otherwise used in conjunction with other routines. In this context, “start” indicates the beginning of the first step presented and may be preceded by other activities not specifically shown. Further, the “continue” indication reflects that the steps presented may be performed multiple times and/or may be succeeded by other activities not specifically shown. Further, while a flow diagram indicates a particular ordering of steps, other orderings are likewise possible provided that the principles of causality are maintained.

The one or more embodiments are used herein to illustrate one or more aspects, one or more features, one or more concepts, and/or one or more examples. A physical embodiment of an apparatus, an article of manufacture, a machine, and/or of a process may include one or more of the aspects, features, concepts, examples, etc. described with reference to one or more of the embodiments discussed herein. Further, from figure to figure, the embodiments may incorporate the same or similarly named functions, steps, modules, etc. that may use the same or different reference numbers and, as such, the functions, steps, modules, etc. may be the same or similar functions, steps, modules, etc. or different ones.

While particular combinations of various functions and features of the one or more embodiments have been expressly described herein, other combinations of these features and functions are likewise possible. The present disclosure is not limited by the particular examples disclosed herein and expressly incorporates these other combinations. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A youth baseball comprises: a core center; and an outer surface that encircles the core center, wherein a circumference of the outer surface is less than or equal to 8.375 inches and wherein a weight of the youth baseball is less than or equal to 4.7 ounces.
 2. The youth baseball of claim 1, wherein the core center comprises: a rubber or cork center; and yarn that is wrapped around the rubber or cork center.
 3. The youth baseball of claim 2, wherein the outer surface comprises: a first piece of leather; and a second piece of leather stitched to the first piece of leather, wherein the stitching creates baseball seams.
 4. The youth baseball of claim 1, wherein the core center comprises: a sphere constructed of one or more of: a plastic, a polyurethane (PU), a polyethylene (PE), an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), an EVA rubber, a rubber, cork, a silicone gel, and a foam.
 5. The youth baseball of claim 4, wherein the outer surface comprises: a synthetic outer material includes a pattern that replicates a conventional baseball and is constructed of one or more of: a plastic, a polyurethane (PU), a polyethylene (PE), an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), an EVA rubber, a rubber and composition thereof
 6. The youth baseball of claim 4, wherein the outer surface comprises: a first piece of leather; and a second piece of leather stitched to the first piece of leather, wherein the stitching creates baseball seams.
 7. The youth baseball of claim 4, wherein the outer surface comprises: a 2-seam wind drag component in a first orientation on the youth baseball; and one or more 4-seam wind drag components in a second orientation on the youth baseball.
 8. The youth baseball of claim 1 further comprises: a first finger alignment area on the outer surface; a second finger alignment area on the outer surface; and a thumb alignment area on the outer surface, wherein, from a front view perspective, the thumb alignment area is approximately centered between the first and second finger alignment areas and is on an opposition side of the youth baseball.
 9. The youth baseball of claim 7 further comprises at least one of: the first and second finger alignment areas and the thumb alignment area being positioned on the youth baseball for a 4-seam fastball; and the first and second finger alignment areas and the thumb alignment area being positioned on the youth baseball for a 2-seam fastball. 